


Is My Life Worth You?

by KyeAbove



Series: Cold [1]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Gen, Kid Logic, Mild Angst, Only Mentioned/Implied, Prescription Drugs, Selectively Mute Henry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 18:33:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13746837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: Joey Drew meets Henry Ross at the park, and it’s a relatively uneventful beginning for these two boys, considering this meeting would grow to change their own little corner of the world forever.





	Is My Life Worth You?

**Author's Note:**

> Know what this series needs? More of Joey and Henry as kids. Completely free of angst. Sadly, I couldn’t give you that second thing. It gets worse when you consider things in later stories. Joey's mostly called Josephine in this one, because that's his full name for reasons hinted at here. 
> 
> Also, mini Sammy. Mini Sammy also needed a little time to shine, however briefly.

There was a park down where Josephine lived. 

He wasn’t allowed to go there alone, even though he could see his house from the swing set. Josephine didn't see why his mama couldn't let him go. Instead, he had to convince a stone wall to move.

“Please?” Josephine begged, his hands together, and his eyes the widest and most cutest he could make them. It usually worked on his grandmother, but it didn’t work on Sammy Lawrence.

“No. I’m trying to read.” Sammy replied, like he had actually turned a page in the last five minutes. Sammy could of have been thinking about an odd bug he’d seen before Josephine dashed into his yard, or a cloud. Sammy wasn't reading “Go away.”

“But you can read at the park! Can’t you?”

“You don’t get it, Josephine. Once I’m out of my zone, I can’t get back in.”

“But you have those Halloween looking pills to help you with that! Did you forget to take them today?” Josephine asked, innocently. Later, Sammy’s pained expression at the mention of his medication would make sense. But to a five year old, it only meant little more than ‘it makes Sammy focus’.

“I took em. I swear. But they’re not magic. Now leave me alone.” Sammy took a hand off his book, and pushed Josephine away.

Josephine, with a cute little pout, grabbed the book and took off with it.

“Hey! Josie, what the hell?!” Sammy took off after Josephine, who laughed maniacally . This was perfect! As long as he ran faster than Sammy, Josephine could lead Sammy to the park. Josephine would have supervision. If he was even luckier, Sammy would get distracted by a butterfly. For an older kid, Josephine found that Sammy was easily fascinated with small things. Even more then Josephine was, and he was six years younger then Sammy. It was so silly!

Quickly, Sammy must have figured out Josephine’s ploy, because he slowed his pace. He kept a close eye on Josephine while he frowned and grumbled. When they were both in the grounds, Sammy was more than happy to be reunited with his book, casting Joey a bitter look.  

“You got your wish. Now leave me alone.”

Josephine grinned unapologetically , and then he was off.

He was so excited! What would he do? See how many times he could go down the slide in a minute? See if he could cross the monkey bars without falling after one bar? Maybe he run from one side of the playground to the other, and time himself?

 Those thoughts all disappeared when Josephine caught sight of the swing set. More, the kid struggling to touch the ground in an attempt to get the swing to do more than dangle. He was clearly distressed, and his frustration was evident.

Josephine approached him immediately.  

“Do you need a push?”

The other boy looked startled. Scared even. Like he’d rather drop to the ground and run for it over accepting Josephine’s help. But Josephine didn’t let that stop him from smiling at the boy.

“If you’re scared of heights I don’t have to push you that much. Look!” Josephine gave the swing a small push, and the boy gasped at the movement. “Is that too much, or do you want to go higher?”

The boy looked at Josephine dead on. In the bright sun, Josephine could make out every one of the boy’s freckles. He noticed how the boy's glasses were ever so ajar, and that he was in fact very cute. Especially when he didn’t use words, and instead made a vague gesture indicating that, yes, he wanted to go higher.

“Great! Mind if I put my hands on your back? That’ll make it easier to push you.”

The boy had a certain fear and distrust of Josephine, but not as much as he’d held seconds upon meeting him. There was some hope creeping into his gaze.

After a moment, the boy nodded, and Joey pushed him, until the boy was short of the bar. The boy was laughing, although it was soundless. Such a quick change. From a simple kindness.

When the boy made it clear that he wanted off, Joey actually grabbed him from the swing. The boy went rigid even as Josephine felt pride for his quick grab.

The boy scrambled away from Josephine, and looked prepared to run now. What little trust he had in Josephine was gone in an instant. But then Josephine held his hand out like he’d seen adults do, and went on a speed of words.

“I’m Josephine, cause I think my parents lost a bet! But my Gran calls me Joey because her name is Josephine just like me. You can call me Joey too since I like you!”

The boy didn’t say anything, keeping up his previous silence. Joey had already accepted that he wouldn’t get a word from him. Then to Joey's surprise, the boy squeaked a little, and then spoke a single word. A name.

“Henry.” His voice was tiny, and it seemed like he was straining to speak at all. Henry was still on the defense, but Joey had left enough of an impression to earn his name.

“Hi, Henry. Do you want to be my friend?”

Henry still looked like he wanted to run. But his face flickered at the word ‘friend’. Henry didn’t have any friends. This strange boy was the first person in his life to ever ask to be his friend.

Joey's smile was wide, and he had almost sparkling eyes. Joey was acting nice even though he’d grabbed Henry like that. Henry decided that Joey couldn't be that bad.

So, Henry nodded, grabbing Joey’s hand. Shaking it, and forming a friendship that should have lasted a lifetime.

 


End file.
